Electrical connector



Dec. 23, 1969 W. J. LEITMANN 3,486,162

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 27, 1968 I NVENTOR.

W/LLMM J LE/TMA/V/V BY PE/VDLETO/V, NEUMA/V 85/5010 8 W/LL/AMS A TTOR/VE Y8 United States Patent O f 3,486,162 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR William J. Leitmann, Northbroolt, Ill., assignor to Hobson Bros. Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 654,116, July 18, 1967. This application Mar. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 723,637

Int. Cl. H01: 11/02 US. Cl. 339-61 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A11 anode connector for use with the standard connector molded into television cathode ray tubes is described. The connector includes a U-shaped clip which has notches cut in the extremities of its two arms. In one embodiment, the bottoms of the arms are bent inwardly to facilitate entry; in another embodiment, portions of the arms are bent outwardly to ensure a very reliable connection. The notches mate with the ridge of the standard connector used in most picture tubes. An insulating cover for the clip is also described. The cover includes a resilient hood member for assuring a firm contact between the clip and the anode connector of the tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to electrical connectors and particularly to anode connectors as used in television applications.

Cross reference to other applications This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 654,116 filed July 18, 1967, and now abandoned.

Brief description of the prior art Electrical connections between the high voltage power supply and the cathode ray picture tube of television receivers have been standardized to the extent that most tubes are made with the same type of connector element molded into the glass wall of the tube. The typical connector element includes a metallic cup-like member with a ridge extending inwardly at the top edge of the cup. Various mating connectors have been employed with this cup-like connector, but most have suffered the disadvantages of being too expensive, unreliable or difiicult to assemble or disassemble.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The connector of the present invention employs a novel clip which mates with the standard connector employed in most cathode ray tubes. The clip has at least one side portion but preferably two side portions which are part of a U-shaped element with a notch or notches out near the ends to engage the ridge on the anode connector of the tube. In one embodiment of the invention, the extremities are bent toward one another to facilitate entry into the anode connector. In another embodiment, the sides below the notches are bent outwardly to ensure a tight connection. An insulating hood covers the clip and may provide a resilient bias to ensure a firm connection. The hood is preferably a single molded piece which has a conical section covering the clip. The conical section may be folded away from the side of the cathode ray tube to expose the clip and facilitate electrical testing.

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of a picture tube employing the 3,486,162 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates an anode connector 10 with a cathode ray tube 11 as used, for example, in television receivers. The connector 10 provides electrical connection between the high voltage power supply (not shown) of the receiver and the anode of the picture tube 11 through a wire 12. The conducting portions of the connector 10 are covered by an insulating hood 15 to minimize shock hazard and corona problems.

The standard anode connector which is molded into the glass wall of most of todays picture tubes is shown together with the connector of the present invention in FIG. 2. The standard connector 20 includes an axially symmetric cup-like portion 21 with an inwardly extending circular ridge 22 at the portion of the connector 20 adjacent to the outside surface of the tube wall 23. A novel clip 30 is employed in the present invention to engage the ridge portion 22 of the cup connector 20.

One embodiment of the clip 30 is shown in FIG. 3. Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The following discussion deals specifically with the embodiment of FIG. 3.

The clip 30 is generally U-shaped and is made of a thin spring metal. Spring steel having a thickness in the range of about .005 to .025 in. may be used. A thickness of about .015 in. is optimum for most applications. At its extremities, the clip 30 is rounded and its ends 31 are bent toward one another. Typically, the bent portion is .100 in. long and makes an angle of about 45 degrees with theside 32, of the clip 30. The distance between opposed edges 38 of the two sides 32 of the clip 30 is greater than the inner diameter of the ridge 22. Thus, as the clip 30 enters the cup 20, the sides 32 are urged toward one another.

Four notches 34 are formed in the clip 30 with very sharp corners 3S nearest the bent portions 31 and rounded corners 36 farthest from the bent portions 31. The notches 34 engage the ridge 22 to establish the connection. The sharp corners 35 tend to prevent accidental disconnection from the cup 20. The rounded corners 36 are preferred above the cup 20 and these aid in the intentional disconnection of the connector from the cup by permitting the clip 30 to be tilted to one side or the other. While rounded corners 36 are shown, an alternative connection would be to cut these at an angle, for example, about 45 degrees.

The embodiment of the clip 80, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is similar to the clip 30, except that the portions 89 below the notches 34 are bent outwardly along approximately vertical or longitudinal lines. The dimensions of the clip 80 are approximately the same as the dimensions of the clip 30. FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged purely for purposes of illustration.) The outside edges 90 of the bent portions 89 are rounded and facilitate entry while the top edges provide the necessary engagement Witt the rim 22 of the connector 20. The clip 80 does not require the same notch configuration as that shown in FIG. 3, although a similar construction has been illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The edge portions 85 may be formed by simple horizontal cuts in the arms 32 or by any other suitable method. The notch construction illustrated has the advantage of limiting to some extent the entry of the clip into the cup 21.

In the following description of the connector, the clip 30 will be described in combination with the insulating hood 15. It is to be understood that the clip 80, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may also be so employed.

The clip 30 is attached to the insulating hood 15 by a threaded screw 40 which extends into the conductor 41 of the wire 12. The screw 40 establishes a good electrical connection between the conductor 41 and the clip 30. The hood 15 includes a top section 50 including an extension 51 for ensuring adequate electrical insulation. The hood 15 is heated in production to enlarge the hole for the wire. After the wire is inserted and the hood returns to room temperature, the Wire is a tight fit in the hood 15. This tight fit between the outside diameter of the wire 12 and the inside diameter of the extension 51 helps to prevent arc-out at this point. The hood 15 is preferably molded PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

The hood 15 includes a conical section 60 which extends from the top section 50 to cover the clip 30. When the clip 30 is not attached to the cup 20, the bottom edge 61 of the cone is about the same distance from the top section 50 as the bottom 31 of the clip 30. Thus, when the connection is made, the cone 60 flares out and provides a resilient force to ensure a tight contact as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The cone 60 may be folded away from the side 23 of the cathode ray tube as shown in FIG. 4. The folded position is used primarily in the initial assembly of the connector to make it easier to push the clip 30 into the cup 20 and to facilitate any electrical tests, such as a com tinuity test, which might be made during or after the assembly process. Thus, after the clip 30 is pushed into the cup 21, the operator may insert a probe to establish contact with the clip 30 and test continuity between the clip 30 and other portions of the circuit. The hood 15 may be undercut to form an annular groove 65. This ensures that the cone 60 will remain in its folded position until return by the operator. Without the annular groove 65, the cone 60 will slowly return from its folded position without any external force being applied.

To establish the connection between the clip 30 and the cup 20, the clip 30 is pushed into the cup 20 so that the sides 32 of the clip 30 are forced toward one another as the bent portions 31 engage the ridge 22. When the clip 30 has extended into the cup 20 far enough, the four notches 34 snap into engagement with the ridge 22. The cone 60 is then pushed from its folded position (FIG. 4) to its forward position (FIG. 2) to urge the clip 30, to a slight degree, out of the cup 20. This provides a resilient bias which ensures a rigid connection between the clip 30 and the cup 20. To disconnect the connector from the cup 20, the insulating hood is rotated with a slight pressure tilting the clip 30 to one side. This motion tends to dislodge the notches 34 from the ridge 22 and the connector can be removed.

When the clip 80, FIGS. 5 and 6, is employed with the hood 15, the operation is essentially the same. The edges 84 engage the underside of the ridge 22 when the hood 15 urges the clip 80 out of the cup 20.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, the invention is in no sense limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector for use with a matching connector having a metal cup-like member with an inwardly extending ridge around the exposed portion of the cuplike member, said electrical connector comprising a resilient conducting clip having two spaced projecting elongated side portions, means for connecting said side portions and maintaining a space between them, two ends of said side portions having edges bent outwardly along axes disposed longitudinally of said side portions to provide cam surfaces for initial engagement with the cup-like member and camming the side portions toward one another when said clip is brought into final engagement with the cup-like member, said edges having outwardly extending portions adapted to engage the concealed surface of the ridge.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 including an insulating member having a top section for receiving an electrical lead, said clip being secured to said top section and in electrical contact with said lead, and a hood extending from said top setcion for concealing said clip.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said hood is conically shaped and is undercut at a portion near said top section.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said insulating member includes a top section to which said conducting portions are attached and said hood is conically shaped and extends from said top section.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4 wherein said insulating member is undercut in the area where said top section joins said hood.

6. An electrical connector for use with a mating connector mounted on a television cathode ray tube, the mating connector including a metal cup-like member with an inwardly extending ridge around the exposed portion thereof, said electrical connector comprising a pair of interconnected elongated conducting portions having outwardly extending edge portions for engaging the concealed surface of the ridge and establishing an electrical connection therewith, an insulating member having a portion thereof surrounding said conducting portions, said member portion having a resilient hood provided with means whereby said hood is adapted to assume two selfsustaining predetermined positions, said hood, when in one of said positions, having the outer periphery thereof spaced from the remainder of said insulating member and exposing said conducting portions, and concealing said conducting portions, when in the second of said positions, said hood, when in said second position, being adapted to resiliently engage the tube exterior circumjacent the mating connector.

7. The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein said pair of interconnected elongated conducting portions comprise a metal clip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,678,082 7/1928 Rottenburg 339262 2,037,630 4/1936 Hudson 33960 2,357,719 9/1944 Hoban 3396O 2,719,956 10/1955 Leighton 339-60 2,869,100 1/1959 Adams 33997 2,921,240 1/1960 Cole 317-119 3,122,604 2/1964 Cook et a1 174-51 3,258,732 6/1966 Martin 33959 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner I H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3,486 ,162 December 23, 1969 William J. Leitmann It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 59, before "The dimensions" insert an openin parenthesis; line 64, "Witt" should read with Column 3,

line 64, "matching" should read mating Column 4, lines 17 and 20, claim reference numeral "1", each occurrence, should read 2 Signed and sealed this 2nd day of June 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

